Seeding Labs is celebrating their 10th year anniversary this year – and we can all celebrate its impact!

They have delivered over $4,000,000 dollars worth of lab equipment to 48 institutions, in 26 countries. Their motto is 'Talent is everywhere'. Seeding Labs finds the best scientists, who trained at world class institutions - but don't have the tools they need to work in their home countries. Researchers have been able to leverage the lab equipment they have received, to secure new funding and develop international collaborations. This translates to scientific progress!

“We are catalyzing the innovative power of scientists in the developing world, to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems” 

— Nina Dudnik, Founder and CEO of Seeding Labs

Seeding Labs has a network of over one hundred partners who contribute funds, surplus lab equipment and scientific expertise. They are also looking to develop new fellowships, exchange programs and training platforms!

YOU can easily donate to Seeding Labs by visiting their web siteseedinglabs.org

Life sciences laboratories are another area in which plastic waste can be reduced. Approximately 5.5 million tons of plastic waste are produced every year in life sciences laboratories alone, including items like pipette tips, nitrile gloves and cell culture flasks. In the age of global waste pollution and the ubiquity of plastic in the world around us, this is definitely too much. It can’t all be changed, but improvements are possible in some areas.

To get to the stage at VERGE, Rheaply is depending on scientific community members (like YOU) to vote by August 30th. This would not only be an opportunity for Rheaply’s platform to be seen by many. It’s a big opportunity to promote awareness of the millions of tons of surplus and equipment that could be shared by scientists across the country.

Scientists who incorporate lab sustainability into the culture of life science are doing the right thing for their communities. The Boston area is the proud home to an extraordinarily high number of biologists, pushing the frontiers of science. In a sense it’s quite the contrast, The city is now nearly 400 years old! But, let’s just say that historical construction planners for greater Boston did not foresee supporting so many labs.

Northwestern University has an ace in the hole when it comes to making good use of lab surplus. Labs at the world-renowned Fineberg Shool of Medicine are now connected via a cloud-based resource-sharing technology, called Rheaply. Rheaply combines the ease of use of social media ease with the marketplace functionality of an ebay. No barcode labels necessary!

First off, people were fired up during the panel discussion. It was terrific. The audience and panelists critically examined typical lab practices and the effectiveness of ways to reduce waste. This is a great podcast to listen to over lunch. You can also read the full transcript of the green symposium podcast on the New England Biolabs web site, which includes helpful links to the resources mentioned.

Labs worldwide are faced with new challenges for recycling and waste reduction! View these expert talks, and read about their solutions for reducing laboratory waste. Over 50 Boston area life scientists attended the Go Green Symposium to get the latest information on laboratory sustainability.

Today’s blog is about (truly) bio-degradable Nodax™ PHA plastic, produced by the biotech company Danimer Scientific. Nodax™ PHA was invented some time ago, but its commercialization has just been ignited by food industry investments. Expect this bioplastic to spread like wildfire.

As the U.S. recycling industry undergoes a transformation, life scientists are looking for trustworthy, local recyclers to meet the challenge of processing lab plastic. Recycling systems work when they are convenient and space efficient. Boston area lab facilities have a new service option that does just that!

It’s no secret that scientific inquiry is dependent on funding. Advances in biomedical research contribute to human health, and are of inestimable value! At the same time, biomedical research is not an inexpensive endeavor. The competition for science funding is fiercer than ever. With green lab initiatives and BETR grants, scientists can boost the impact of their grant dollars, while maximizing their chances to receive awards.